'Babygirl' Review

Babygirl had its North American Premiere at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival. A24 will release it in theaters on December 25.

To make a film, you must have a question. Writer/director Halina Reijn has several questions on her mind within Babygirl, each of them even more sexually charged than the previous one. For those who thought the provocation of Catherine Breillat would stay outside of America’s border, you’re sorely mistaken.

To pull off her highwire act of tone and impurity, Reijn has enlisted the help of one of the bravest A-listers around: Nicole Kidman. If there’s anyone who can get this project over the finish line, it’s the star who’s worked with Stanley Kubrick, Lars Von Trier, and Yorgos Lanthimos. Kubrick’s Eyes Wide Shut would be an apt comparison here, based on the surface-level story of an affair during Christmas and the underneath layer of promiscuity and power.

“They did a bad, bad thing” would be the hook that plays over the relationship between Romy (Kidman) and Samuel (Harris Dickinson). She’s the CEO of a leading artificial intelligence company, and he’s the fresh-faced intern. But their paths first cross before they enter the office building, with him calming down a dangerous dog about to lunge after Romy. He can tame the beast, while also unleashing it by asking forward questions and making criticisms about Romy’s coffee habits.

Romy may spout the usual HR-approved speeches about the CEO being a collaborative leader of a family, but that all ends in the bedroom. She’s the dominator when having sex with her husband Jacob (Antonio Banderas), and when trying to parent her angsty teenage daughter (Esther McGregor). There’s something about Samuel’s brashness that turns her on, even when it should be cause for an immediate dismissal. An innocent kiss becomes a string of flirtatious text messages, which becomes a secret meeting in a hotel room, which becomes a passionate game of hide and seek around the office.

Reijn never proposes to have all the answers for why such a powerful woman would engage in something so destructive. Jacob is a perfect husband, and he’s obviously quite handsome. She’s passionate about her job, and is looked upon highly by her assistant (Sophie Wilde) as a titan in a male-dominated industry. But there’s a darkness within her, a need to unravel everything. She’s too scared to take the plunge on her own, which is why someone like Samuel is so irresistible. She can only tame her desires for so long, and it always bites back ferociously.

It’s no surprise that Kidman won the Best Actress award at the Venice Film Festival, with her dedication to the film’s twists and turns being unmatched. She bares all both literally and metaphorically, navigating the challenges of the corporate world and a teetering domestic life. There’s real passion in her scenes with Dickinson, and the practice with Zac Efron over the years in The Paperboy and A Family Affair is surely paying off. Dickinson is a frat boy who finally gets what he’s been bragging about all these years. Now that he has it, he doesn’t know what to do with it. There’s an emotional immaturity to his actions, which makes him a time bomb ready to explode if he doesn’t get what he thinks he wants.

Reijn supports women’s rights, and also women’s wrongs. Everything is wrong with Babygirl, with those unsatisfactory feelings being just what the erotic subgenre needs. It’s a dirty film with a dirtier message, perfect for release during the Christmas season.